The Promise of Print 05

A year after Drupa, what new surprises do graphic arts vendors have in store for in-plants? Here's an advanced look.

In-plant managers eager to see the latest graphic arts technologies can't do much better than Print 05 & Converting 05. Held in Chicago once every four years, this is the printing industry's main event.

To help in-plants prepare, many of the industry's key vendors offered a peak at the products they plan to display in Chicago.

Offset

Boasting the show's largest exhibit area as usual, Heidelberg will show off a number of its technologies, including the Speedmaster SM52-8 with perfector, the Speedmaster 74-6 with perfector, coater and extended delivery and the Speedmaster XL 105, the first sheetfed press in a new "maximum performance class." The 105 offers fast makereadies, high production speeds and printing quality. The press achieves a maximum speed of 18,000 sph, enabling cost-effective production of industrialized offset jobs.

MAN Roland will exhibit a 65˝ version of the its extra-extra-large press: the ROLAND 900 XXL. A six-color with coater configuration, the 900 XXL demonstrates the advantages of combining high levels of automation with a super-sized press format and is equipped with a Maxson sheeter, which uses web stock.

Ryobi/xpedx Import Group will introduce the Ryobi 3404X-DI (UV), a four-color, 13.375x18.125˝ digital imaging portrait press with UV capabilities. The group will also spotlight the Ryobi 524HE, a four-color, 14x20˝ press; Ryobi 524GXP, a four-color or 2/2 14x20˝ press; Ryobi 755XL-E, a five-color, 23x29˝ with UV board press; and the Ryobi 758P (S-Type), a 23x29˝ eight-color 4/4 perfector.

The four-color TruePress 344 digital offset press will be at the heart of the Screen (USA) booth. It has a maximum sheet size of 13.4x18.5˝ and a maximum imaging area of 13x18.1˝. It utilizes a thermal multi-array laser diode imaging system and a new processless plate. All four plates are exposed simultaneously. With a print speed of 7,000 sph, it can produce a 500-sheet single-sided job in less than 15 minutes.